These Burdens We Carry
by randomramblings
Summary: (Completed. ) Legolas is plagued with the images of his slaughtered comrades and is driven to despair in his grief. Can Aragorn save him this time or will their friendship be destroyed by the elf's grief?
1. Relentless persuit

**Disclaimer: All facts related to Tolkien's works are his.**

**Warnings: Some gory descriptions, not for the overly squeamish.**

**Other stories in this series: A Twist of Fate**

**~*~**

**These Burdens We Carry **

**Chapter****I.**** Relentless Pursuit **

There was an unnatural silence in the forest. Legolas fiddled with the strap of his quiver nervously and gazed around him. He had been wondering restlessly around the forest for half the day, searching. His heart was filled with worry for what he would find. He sighed tiredly and decided to rest for a few moments. Pulling out his canteen he took a few cautious sips, easing his parched throat a little.  His body was tense and on edge, ready to flee at any hint of danger. 

The trees offered no solace here. Their voices cried out in agony, painful to the ears of an elf. All around him were naked branches, reduced to skeletal twigs and burnt barks. The ashes of leaves blew around whispering of a hidden danger. 

The desperate hope, that he would find what he so urgently sought, washed through his being and urged him to cut short his rest. Legolas' quiver tapped gently against his shoulder as he traveled and the few arrows in it tilted to rest on an edge of the quiver. 

The metallic smell of blood had become more and more saturated as Legolas walked on. He chose to ignore the possibilities behind the sickening odor. His foot stepped into a puddle as he turned to his right and he froze. 

 He blinked, but the sight remained before him. He had found the rest of his petrol, but now he half wished he hadn't. His legs felt weak and his mind screamed at him to turn his eyes away but he couldn't. He felt paralyzed to the spot. With sudden realization, he realized that he must have just stepped into a puddle of blood.  He felt nauseas and managed to prevent himself from looking downwards. His gaze was fixated on the horrific picture painted before him. 

He kept no track of how long he stood there and in that time, his sharp sight took in every detail and committed it to memory. It would give him nightmares in days to come. The sound of orcish voices in the air dragged him back to the present and his head snapped up, startled. He lingered for a moment more before he began to run, the faint marks of tears on his cheeks drying rapidly. 

The orcs had come to finish off what they had started. Their foul voices and their stench polluted the air as they trampled through the injured ground, heedless of the bodies that were mauled by their foul feet. Blood squirted out of the masses of flesh onto their iron boots but they did not care.

Legolas gasped for breath. The orcs were relentless in their chase and had given him no respite. He didn't know how long he could hold out at the rate this was going. The chilly air nipped at his bare skin as he approached the mountains. He hoped he would not be forced right over it.  The chances for surviving the trip over the mountains alone were very slim. If the orcs gave up halfway, there were still other perils to face, wargs, snow storms… the list was endless. 

 ~*

Aragorn breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp morning air. His fingers tapped lightly against the window sill, following the rhythm of the steady drip of water from somewhere nearby.  It was at times like these that he remembered how thankful he was to be living in an Elven realm. Rivendell glistened like a jewel in the morning sun. How many mortals got to see such a beautiful sight every morning? 

He gave a contented sigh and pulled on his boots. Whistling softly, he strode out of the room to have breakfast with his family. They always tried to have the morning meal together when he was going to leave home for long periods of time.  

He was anxious to get on his way. He had not seen Legolas for half a year and was eager to see how he was faring. 

TBC…

Please tell me what you think! 

Well… this is the first chapter, and if you want this story to go on, it would be wise to **review!** Lack of encouragement in the first chapter may lead to writer's depression… and inability to continue. :o)


	2. Troubles on the Snow

Disclaimer: All facts and characters related to Tolkien's works are his. 

These Burdens we Carry

Chapter II – Troubles on the Snow

The wind blew harshly into Legolas' face making him squint and narrow his eyes to slits. He was getting heartily sick of it. He walked lightly atop the snow all the while keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of danger in the large field of whiteness that stretched before him.

 His current fear was that he would drop unsuspectingly into a depression in the ground. The chances of getting out of that tight spot were very slim. No one knew where he was. He was all alone in the cold menacing mountains. He tried to push all thoughts of despair away from his mind and desperately tried to focus on something to keep his thoughts away from dark things.

His mind wandered to the things he could hear. He listened to his breathing and watched a small cloud of icy breath escape from his mouth every time he exhaled. He heard the tapping of his bow softly against his back and the last two arrows hitting the side of  his quiver…

He walked automatically forward for ages surrounded by nothing but blankness, finally stopping to rest behind a large rock that protruded from the ground. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The weather was frightfully cold- even for an elf. He soon wondered into a light sleep, exhausted by the day's walking and the emotional battle of blocking out grief from his companions death as well as desperation from his dire situation. 

His senses prickled, warning him of danger and he awoke with a start.  He could hear the melancholic howl of a warg in the air. His body tensed, going as taught as a bowstring and his hands fled to his knifes. 

He stayed that way for some time, prepared for any sudden attacks, but the howls soon ebbed away and Legolas slowly let his guard down again allowing himself to fall back into a troubled sleep…

_The dirty blade of an orc cut through the air and then swung viciously downwards. A soft stifled cry of pain was heard followed by the sound of something choking. Blood dripped from between the ugly fingers of the cruel creature born from dark things. _

_It flashed its rotten teeth in a ghastly smile, its eyes lighting up with glee. The rest of them licked their lips lustfully, their gaze fixated on their latest victim. The orc gripped his gnarled fingers around the neck of the elf squeezing tightly. The once fair creature's bruised face was scrunched up in pain and his hands flew up in a vain attempt to free himself. His mouth was open in a silent scream and his eyes, so glazed with pain, were wide open in horror. He struggled futilely for several minutes before going limp, just as it seemed that life was going to flee his being, the grip was gone and he fell hard to the ground. He lay there fighting to take in air and a few tears of pain leaked out from the corners of his eyes. _

_The orcs continued to torment him, pushing him to the brink of death and then pulling him back…  _

~*

Legolas awoke suddenly and after breathing deeply and reassuring himself that it was just a dream, walked out of the protection of the boulder only to find himself staring straight into the ugly face of a warg. 

The warg snarled and bared its teeth, salvia dripping from its mouth. 

It had been separated from the rest of the pack and in this frigid weather it had been unable to get much sustenance. Now, the sight and smell of the elf before him drove it mad. It was ravenous.It pounced at the elf, its sharp teeth aiming for the throat.

Legolas whipped out his knifes and shifted out of the path of the warg at the last minute. A long cut now ran from the warg's eye to the base of its jaw. Ruby red blood gushed out the gristly wound and dripped slowly to the ground. 

Images so vivid in his memory were instantly recalled and his stomach churned. He fought to keep his concentration but that small moment of distraction was enough for the animal. It shot at him another time, eager for fresh meat. 

Its fangs bit deeply into Legolas' shoulder tearing flesh and muscle. Legolas gasped with the pain but kept his cool and stabbed his knife into the warg's underside. He twisted it and the animal let loose a pitiful howl. It fell to its side, its life force gushing from the fatal wound. 

Legolas staggered away from the dying animal clutching his shoulder tightly. When he removed his hand, it was stained red and blood trickled down the length of his arm. He felt strangely ill…

~*~ 

Legolas shaded his eyes against the dazzling white snow and pulled his hood further over his head. He shivered uncontrollably now. The injury he had acquired from the warg was not fatal; however, he had already been injured from a near brush with the orcs that pursued him. His wounds were slowly weakening him and he had began to stumble more with every step. 

His eyelids kept trying to slip shut and he struggled to force them open. Often, his eyes would go unfocussed and his mind would think of dark things, before he shook his head to pull himself back to the present. 

His fingers felt stiff as he clutched the edges of his clock closer around him. He couldn't feel his feet. The numbing cold was slowly seeping into his body and a deep feeling of lethargy was creeping over him. 

He hardly realized that he had stopped moving. His vision darkened and he collapsed onto the ground senseless as the cruel wind continued to blow around him, enveloping him in its icy embrace…

~*

Aragorn sensed his horse's distress and tried to soothe her with calm words. He worried about the cause of the horse's behavior. As they moved ahead, she moved slower and slower, dragging her hooves into the ground until finally she halted and refused to move. Her rider dismounted and attempted to look around to see what the matter was, but he was unable to see clearly in the blowing snow. Cautiously, Aragorn, took a few halting stops forward. His leg hit an obstacle and he looked downwards, his eyes widening in horror as he discovered who it was. 

TBC…

I'm sorry for taking so terribly long to update… I wrote a couple of versions of chpt 2 and then decided to cut and paste bits and pieces of it to form one chapter…. Aniwaez, hope you ppl liked it. It's my longest chapter yet! 1000 over words …. My average is 800.

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! **


	3. Burdens

Disclaimer: All facts and Characters related to Tolkien's works are his. 

These Burdens We Carry

Chapter III - Burdens

Legolas moaned softly in Aragorn's grasp but he did not waken. Worry for his friend weighed heavily on the ranger's heart and he unconsciously spurred his mount on. Rivendell was but a few hours away and he was anxious for his adar to have a look at the elf. Legolas had been half frozen when Aragorn had found him and the ranger had had a hard time raising the elf's body temperature. There had also been that rather frightening moment when the prince of mirkwood had stopped breathing…

Now, his head lolled limply on his bandaged chest and he whimpered slightly as the pain of his wounds reached him even in unconsciousness. Aragorn murmured soothing words and pulled his friend closer, his brow furrowed with anxiety. 

~*~

_The orc wrapped its fist in an iron chain and spread its lips in a sadistic smile. Jeers and taunts rang through the air._

_The helpless body of an elf lay quivering on the ground. His body shook with the pain of his being. His glazed eyes darted around the clearing searching in vain for some form of distraction; his gaze fell on his other two comrades. They lay limply on the ground, blood oozing from the torture the orcs had inflicted. Their bodies seemed like a hacked mess, the elf watching them was sure they were dead already. Their eyes were disconcertingly closed. _

_A cry of agony was torn from his lips as the metal clad fist connected with his ribs. He panted heavily and clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails tore through the skin of his palms. His limbs twitched with the aftermath of the pain. _

_Bruises over bruises, welts over welts.__ The repeated abuse was causing immerse damage. All he wished was for death to arrive quicker. He had long given up all hope of rescue._

_~*~_

Legolas' head tossed slightly against the white pillow. Tears trickled down his cheeks. His eyes flew open and his face contorted into a look of horror. A gentle hand pressed him down before he could sit up.

"Peace Legolas… you are safe now."

His wild gaze met the comforting faces of Elrond and his foster son. 

"How…?"

"It is a long story … you should get some rest." Nodding tiredly, Legolas let his fatigue overcome him once again. 

Aragorn made to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs in the room but at a stern look from his adar, reluctantly left his friend to refresh himself with rest and some food. The prince of mirkwood was in no danger now. Elrond closed the door softly after them.

It was only in their absence that the elf gave in to the overwhelming grief in his heart. His shoulders shook and he cried quietly, weeping unabashedly for his lost comrades. 

~*

2 weeks later…

Aragorn headed down the corridor for Legolas' room. The elf's wounds were almost completely healed and Aragorn was going to ask him if he was up for a hunting trip.

The  room was empty. Aragorn cursed inwardly. He half wished his adar had not granted the elf permission to be up and about… it made it so much harder to track his friend down and Legolas was an expert at remaining hidden when he chose to. 

There was only one place a wood elf would be at this time of the morning… Aragorn sighed heavily and exited the room, heading for the woods.

~*

Legolas' back rested against the smooth trunk of a tree. He had one leg stretched out before him and his whole posture suggested that he was at peace in this place. Only his eyes betrayed the turmoil he was feeling. 

Guilt, sorrow, regret… the burden of his comrades death weighed heavily upon his heart. 

The heavy foot falls of a man alerted him to the presence of another. He did not move and seemed to blend in with the trees around him even more. The foot steps neared and then moved away. He heard the person voice an annoyed curse and felt a little bad about not revealing himself. Aragorn only meant well after all. However, he knew he couldn't trust himself to face anyone.

Every time he looked into the face of another. His mind twisted their images into horribly tortured bodies much like the ones he had seen. These creations of his imagination were just as bad as the mutilated bodies of his friends and they plagued him so that he couldn't bear to look into the face of anyone and had taken to avoiding people. 

He could hardly rest without those memories being awakened. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw… It was worst in his elven dreams. There, he found he could not escape the vivid images, much as he tried, they held him fast. Shadows were beginning to form around his eyes and his hands trembled faintly with exhaustion. He refused to allow himself to sleep. His tired appearance gave him even more reason to avoid others. 

He had only let himself be seen briefly in the past week. Just enough glimpses by others so that they knew he was still around but not more then was absolutely necessary. 

In his heart, he knew he couldn't keep this up. He knew he would have to face up to his grief soon, let the heavy burden of the dead go, but some burdens are not so easy to put down…

TBC…

Please review! 

More reviews= more motivation to write = faster chapters 

Many thanx to those who took the time to review the past two chapters! 


	4. Alone

**Disclaimer: All facts and characters related to Tolkien's works are his. **

**These Burdens we Carry**

**Chapter IV Alone**

"Where have you been?"

Aragorn's tone was laced with accusation. He knew Legolas had been in those woods and his friend's refusal to acknowledge his presence stung.

Legolas chin tilted stubbornly upwards and his gaze hardened. 

"I needed some time alone." He gritted out, not meeting the ranger's eyes. An awkward silence fell over the room for a few moments, finally being broken by a soft sigh from the elf. The cold look in his eyes had been replaced by regret.

"I  am sorry… I just…" 

Legolas' voice trailed off, his fingers fiddling nervously with the edges of his tunic. 

"It's alright. I understand" Aragorn interrupted woodenly. Legolas winced at his tone. He had not meant to push his friend away like that. It was just so difficult to behave normally around those he knew nowadays… 

So lost in thoughts was he that he hardly noticed that Aragorn had once again left him to his own devices. He was secretly glad to be alone once more. He had not known how long he could push away the visions of the ranger being twisted by his own mind. He gazed sadly up at the stars. They offered no solace. He wondered if his companions had been able to seek comfort from the stars in the clutches of the orcs… he doubted it. 

Somehow, it felt wrong that he was able to look upon the stars that they never would see again. Remorsefully, he turned away from the night sky. The gentle breeze caressed his face and playfully teased a few errant strands of hair while he stood there in the balcony as still as a stature.

~*~

His bed lay in a crumpled mess, the sheets tangled and the pillows thrown onto the floor. Legolas sat huddled in a corner staring blankly into the empty fire place, his knees hugged tightly to his body. His shoulders trembled faintly with silent sobs and his face was twisted with the agony of suppressed hurt. 

He could feel his grief welling up inside his chest and the tears brimming. Not again… not again… he thought desperately. These spasms of grief left him helpless and weak not to mention vulnerable. His heart always felt so raw from the feelings of guilt and sorrow that tore through him that he was wary of exposing it again.

He felt so tired, all he wanted was to sleep un- plagued by dreams once again. 

~*~

Aragorn lay awake in bed. His hands were propped up behind his head in place of a pillow and his eyes stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. Something didn't feel quite right about the whole situation with Legolas.

Soft sounds of distress drifted through the window and Aragorn started. They sounded vaguely familiar, as though they were being made by someone whose voice he knew so well. 

Hurriedly, he sat up and not even bothering to pull on his boots, started out for Legolas' room.

He hesitated outside the door. _I needed some time alone…_ the words rang in his head. Another muffled sob chased away all doubts that Aragorn had and he pushed the door open carefully.

"Legolas…?"

His whisper faded to nothing in the silent room. Aragorn's eyes lighted on the bed and he paused. The elf was no where in sight. He tried to pierce the darkness of the room but sensed no presence of another. The sounds he had heard were gone. Legolas had seemingly vanished. He noted that the thin branches of a tree just below the balcony were swaying vigorously from side to side. Strange. There was no breeze. Puzzled, the ranger closed the door behind him.

Legolas panted heavily. He had escaped a confrontation with the ranger just in time. The branches of the small tree still swayed slightly from the slight disturbance he had caused when he had leapt off the balcony. His room was not high off the ground. 

~*~  
  


He was not so lucky the next morning. He was all set for another day of avoiding all those who knew him well when Aragorn had walked in cheerily and dragged him off to have the morning meal.

An uncommon feeling of irritation was beginning to creep over him. He watched with an annoyed expression on his face as the ranger piled food onto his plate. The sight of so much food made his stomach churn. 

He swallowed nervously and ignored the forced cheeriness of Aragorn as he focused on calming his nausea. He searched frantically for an opportunity to get away… some excuse. Anything.

"You don't look quite well, Legolas…" Aragorn caught the panicked look on the elf's face and voiced his concern. 

"Err… it's nothing. I feel fine."  

Yes… and you look it too. Aragorn thought sarcastically to himself. Shadows lined the eyes of his friend. It was painfully obvious that the elf had not been getting much sleep. 

Aragorn wished for the thousandth time that the elf would tell him what the matter was. He knew that Legolas' patrol had been massacred, that he was the only survivor. Word had been sent to Mirkwood of the prince's arrival in Rivendell. Legolas had been rather vague about details regarding the death of his companions. 

Living around elves Aragorn knew how emotional hurts could affect them. Legolas displayed all signs of being scarred terribly by the events that had led up to Aragorn's finding of him… but the ranger knew it would not be wise to push his friend to recount all that had happened. He just hoped Legolas would open up soon. 

~*

Legolas could feel the unsettled contents of his stomach churning. He gulped and glanced sideways at Aragorn. If only the pesky ranger would leave him alone.

"I-I think i'll go for a walk." He stumbled over the words in his haste to get away. Moving abruptly away from the man, he strode off as quickly as was able for the outdoors. 

"Let me come with … " Aragorn stopped mid sentence, the elf had already disappeared. 

Legolas retched violently and felt his breakfast coming back up. He ducked his head and vomited painfully onto the ground. 

Shudders ran through his body as he shakily wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He felt horrible. Through his blurry vision, he could just make out the green and brown shapes which towered above him. He staggered for the trees, the sun catching his blonde hair before he was swallowed whole by the forest. 

TBC…

Please leave a review… *smiles hopefully * 

**Response to reviews:**

**Amy:** Thanx for pointing out my spelling mistakes! I didn't notice, and the spell check didn't reveal it… strangely. In reply to your review from a Twist of Fate, there will be a sequel in which all unfinished business in that fic will be concluded. 

Many thanks to 

**Anastasia who, **

**Gwyn****, Star-stallion, **

**Captain of the Fluffies, **

**Gozilla****, **

**Elven**** kitten, **

**random**** idiocity, **

**linZe****,**

**Amy,**

**Boromir******

**and**** Gilaladh**

**for**** the encouraging reviews!!! :o)**


	5. Confrontation

Disclaimer: All facts and characters related to Tolkien's works are his. 

These Burdens We Carry

Chapter V ~ Confrontation

The weight of many sleepless nights weighed down on Legolas' eyelids. Half in a daze, he looked up from his plate and blinked at Aragorn. The ranger looked expectantly at him as though awaiting an answer. 

Legolas wrecked his brain for some clue as to what had been said earlier. Unable to recall anything, he hastily settled for a relatively safe response. 

"Err… that's nice." 

He hoped fervently that Aragorn had been recounting an incident of some sort. 

Aragorn's eyes widened slightly and he seemed about to say something, before he smiled slightly and picked up his goblet to take a sip of wine. Legolas breathed a sigh of relief and went back to trying to keep awake.

Inwardly though, Aragorn was troubled. He had asked Legolas how Mirkwood had been coping with the recent increase of orcs.

He glanced discreetly at the elf. It could have been his imagination but Legolas' head seemed to be nodding almost imperceptibly forward every few seconds. His elbows were propped on the table and his head rested heavily in his hands. His head was bowed and Aragorn was almost sure that the elf's eyelids were drooping lower and lower downward.

Worriedly, he reached over and shook his friend's shoulder lightly, accompanying the small action with a question. 

"Legolas…?"The elf did not stir. 

"Legolas…? Mellon nin? Are you alright?"

His anxiety increased tenfold and with one hand, he brushed away the golden hair that veiled his friend's face. To his utmost alarm, Legolas' eyes were closed. Frantically, he shook Legolas' shoulder vigorously. The prince of Mirkwood's arms fall limply on to the table and his head lolled limply against the table top. 

The hall was nearly empty and Aragorn was grateful for that. He felt sure Legolas would be deeply embarrassed at being caught falling asleep at the dinner table. The elf  was clearly exhausted. He had not even wakened after falling forward. 

Aragorn gently scooped the elf into his arms and walked carefully towards his room. There, he carefully placed the sleeping form onto the soft bed and arranged the blankets around him. Legolas stirred and murmured something, but did not waken.

Quietly, the man left closed the door behind him, glad that his friend was finally getting some much needed rest. 

~*

Legolas sprung upright with a start, his eyes wild and confused. His breath came in short gasps and his clothes were soaked with sweat. His gaze swept around the room, wondering how he had come to be here. The last thing he remembered was resting his head in his hands for a few moments. 

The fireplace had been lit and a merry red fire burnt in the hearth. Its warmth soothed the elf's confusion a little and he breathed in deeply, reassuring himself that it had all been a dream once again. Slowly, he allowed himself to lie back down onto the bed and eventually fall into an uncomforting slumber.

~*~

Aragorn frowned deeply. A messenger had just arrived from Mirkwood. Its king had sent for their prince. His presence was greatly needed.

"You leave in the morning?" Aragorn asked. 

"Yes." Legolas answered shortly

The conversation between the two close friends was awkward. Aragorn clearly wanted to ask him something and the elf had a nagging suspicion what it was about. His eyes darted around seeking a quick getaway,

Noticing the tension of the elf's body and the way he seemed to be edging further away from him, Aragorn made up his mind not delay the question. He had to do it now, there was no time left. Feeling strangely at a loss for words he groped around for suitable words to use.

He was just about to speak when Legolas turned to him and mumbled a few barely legible words before moving swiftly away in the opposite direction.

Aragorn's resolve hardened and he whipped around, grabbing the elf's shoulder and halting his motion. 

"We have to talk."

"What is there to talk about Aragorn?" Inside, Legolas was panicking, he could not bear to look the ranger in the eye. Images of a mangled body was beginning to creep into his mind, contorting the face of the man before him.

The elf's feigned ignorance was too much for the ranger and he snapped.

"What about? What about? You have moping around for days avoiding everyone who knows and loves you and you  haven't been getting any rest!" Legolas winced, and Aragorn knew his guesses had been right.

"Your grief is eating away at you and you are not telling anyone of your suffering! You know as well as I do if not better, how grief affects your kind… you are disgracing the memory of your entire patrol – don't you think they would want you to do better things with your time then mope around all day and -  "

Aragorn stared straight into the elf's piercing blue eyes and was slightly taken aback by the rage he saw there.

"You know nothing! Do not presume to tell me what to do Aragorn!" He spat the words at the ranger, his hands trembling with rage at his sides and his eyes flashing cold and hard. 

He turned his face away hiding the tears that had come unbidden to his eyes. 

"You know nothing,.." He whispered, as he stumbled in the direction of the trees, half blinded by his tears. 

Aragorn stared at the empty space where the elf had been but moments before, but this time he did not follow, leaving the elf to bear away his hurt and sorrow to the woods. 

TBC… 

**Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **

**I am so sorry for the long wait! My Chinese Language O levels are on Monday and I've been busy studying for it, hence the long delay!  **


	6. Soul Cleansing

Disclaimer: All characters and facts related to Tolkien's works are his. 

These Burdens We Carry

Chapter VI  Soul Cleansing 

The surface of the lake, which mirrored the innumerable stars in the sky, was disturbed by a slight breeze as it blew lightly across. The wind whispered in the trees and somewhere further out in the water, a soft plop could be heard as a broken branch dropped into the lake. 

The silence was broken suddenly as a being burst through the trees out into the open. It fell onto its knees and bowed its head. Quiet sobbing broke through the air.

Small dewdrops of water rolled down Legolas' otherwise flawless face and fell onto the damp grass. He did not know what to do. All reason and logic had been driven away by his grief and in its place was a dark empty void. He felt isolated from the rest of the world. The beauty around could not be reached, the sorrow in his heart formed a barrier between him and anything else. He tried to break through the wall but it was too difficult for his hurting body and mind. 

He could not see the next step, the next course of action in his long life. He was miserably trapped. He was long past panic, it had overwhelmed him before, now he felt calm acceptance. The salty tears stung his eyes and he blinked but his vision remained blurred. 

He rested his head against the steady trunk behind him tried to resist the edges of darkness pulling at him. Helplessly, he failed and sank deep into a lightless pit which seemed to have no bottom. 

_When next Legolas became aware of his own being, he opened his eyes and looked down only to find himself knee deep in a pool of thick blood. He felt repulsed but there was no high ground around to climb onto. To his horrer, the liquid seemed to be rising like a horrible red tide. Within the blink of an eye, it was up to his waist, and then his chin and soon it engulfed his entire body._

_He cried out and immediately choked on the blood. It filled his nose and mouth and years and coated his hands and every inch of skin. His blonde hair felt like there were congealed lumps of blood entangled in it.  He felt like a dead weight. Suddenly, a rotting skull appeared before his eyes amid the sea of crimson. The hollows of its eyes glowed evilly and he thought he heard the cackling of laughter. _

_Was this death he wondered? Have I died of grief? Just as he thought his lungs must have become completely choked up with fluid and he had surely drowned, his surroundings changed abruptly. _

_The encompassing red was replaced by a pale blue. He was on solid ground. He climbed to his feet and found his whole body still stained with blood. The turquoise lake beckoned and he heeded its call, with a graceful leap he penetrated the shimmering water. It was cool and refreshing and it washed away the stains on his person His skin glowed white again and his clothes were washed clean. The cleansing liquid seemed to permeate his being if that was possible. He seemed to feel himself being revitalized. His grief was being washed away. He felt weightless in this water body, he carried no burdens here. _

_Golden Sunlight reached under the surface of the water and drew him upwards. He was met with a boundless marbled sky, the snowy clouds forming swirls and patterns in the vast above. Nature had not a care in the world. The trees bore fruit, the sky and the lakes simply existed, the birds lived day by day. _

_For a while, he seemed to float bodiless in the large open space surrounded by nature, he felt lighter then he had been since many hundreds of years…_

~*~

Legolas grabbed his quiver from where it rested against the wall and strapped it on. With light footsteps, he approached his horse and stroked it gently as it nuzzled its head against his neck. He smiled to himself, his eyes lighting with pleasure. 

"Are you ready for the journey back, old friend?" 

His horse seemed to neigh with delight and nipped Legolas' ear affectionately. 

The elf sensed footsteps behind him and inclined his head slightly in that direction. As Aragorn looked upon the elf's face, he sensed a difference in his friend. Something had changed in the course of the night. The creases of worry were gone from his face; his shoulders seemed more relaxed, as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He approached the elf tentatively. 

Legolas reached out his hand and clasped the ranger's shoulder tightly in assurance. \no words needed to be said. His appearance and the light in his eyes told all.

He led his horse out of the stable and past the ranger.

"I will be fine, Aragorn. Just fine."

Aragorn caught the quiet words and they soothed the worry in his heart. 

He watched as Legolas mounted his horse and joined the other elf. Together, the two of them began their return journey home. Although Legolas carried about the same number of things which Aragorn had found him in the mountains with, his load was lighter.

He had left a heavy burden behind somewhere deep amongst the trees of Rivendell. 

**~*~**

 End

**Epilogue (in which Legolas' miraculous recovery will be explained) up soon… **

**Review!!! Please… **

**Many thanks to past reviewers… I'm sorry but I just don't seem to have the time to reply to them, that doesn't mean I don't read everyone of them and grin like a loon to my comp- in joy!!!!**


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue:

_Mirkwood__…_

Legolas had always wondered at the beauty of the stars. He fancied that in the beginning of time while the world was still being shaped by the Valar, Elbereth had run a sharp needle with silver thread through the dark fabric of the sky and lovingly embroidered the beloved lights of the night. 

The world was so peaceful. The hours hovered between the past day and the one forthcoming. Legolas breathed in deeply and exhaled. His hand rested lightly on the cool railing and his fingers drummed to an imaginary rhythm. He reflected on how his grief had dissipated. He had woken from the first real sleep he had had in days to find the dull ache that had been present in his heart gone and his thoughts clearer. How or why, he could not remember. But somehow, he could not rid himself of the feeling that perhaps it had been someone's doing other than Aragorn. His grief had been great he knew. He got the sensation that there was some greater power at work. 

Whatever the case, he was thankful. He poured forth his gratitude into words and lifted his fair voice to the air. And the elf imagined that somewhere, his savior heard and smiled with satisfaction. 

_"For though Olorin, one of the maiar,  loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts. In later days, he was the friend of all the children of Iluvatar, and took pity on their sorrows; and those who listened to him awoke from despair and put away their imaginations of darkness."_

- _-The Silmarillion : Valaquenta [Of the Maiar]_

**~*~ **

-Concluded

**I hope that cleared up some confusion? Anyway, tell me what you think of this story on the whole!! **

**Sneak****Peak**** at my next fic! **

**The Core of the Stone**

The clocked figure swung the knife downwards over the elf's heart. Aragorn's eyes widened in horror and he struggled valiantly against his captors. The tip of the weapon stopped a hairs width above the elf's body. Every ragged rise and fall of the unconscious elf touched the pinnacle of the sharp blade. 

Aragorn could almost imagine the feral grin plastered on the face of the man before him. Legolas gave a small groan where he lay on the ground…

_Estel__… _

He was silenced by a kick to his ribs. Hope was hard to hold on to when ones grip was so slippery with spilled blood. 

~*~


End file.
